It’s only early April and north India is bracing for extreme heat

India’s weather department has warned of high temperatures in parts of northern India, including capital Delhi, for this week.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has said northern and central states – including Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat – can expect maximum temperatures to cross 40C.

It has issued a yellow alert which means that the heat is tolerable for the general public but can cause moderate health concerns for infants, the elderly and people with chronic diseases.

Northern India usually sees heatwaves between April and June, but in recent years, global warming and climate change have caused extreme temperatures to arrive earlier and last longer.

According to the IMD forecast, the highest temperature in Delhi is expected to hit 41C on Monday afternoon. The average temperature for the city last year was 37C.

People have been advised to avoid heat exposure, wear lightweight and breathable cotton clothing and cover their heads with a cloth or umbrella outdoors.

The capital recorded a maximum temperature of 38.2C on Sunday.

Last week, IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said most parts of India would experience an intense heatwave this summer, with above-normal temperatures expected across most of the country.

States like Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha could see as many as 10 to 11 heatwave days, Mr Mohapatra said.

“From April to June, most parts of north and east India, central India and the plains of north-west are expected to experience two-to-four more heatwave days than normal,” he added.

Heatwaves usually start occurring in northern India from the end of April, but we are seeing that their occurrence has recently been exacerbated by climate change, says Mahesh Palawat, vice president of meteorology and climate change at weather forecasting company Skymet.

“We go straight from winter to summer; the spring season in northern India is shrinking,” he said.

“In the coming days, we will see wind speeds slowing down with clear skies. This naturally leads to a rise in temperature,” Mr Palawat added.

Last year, India recorded its hottest day ever at 50.5C in Rajasthan state. More than 40,000 suspected cases of heatstroke were also reported.

One weather station in Delhi in May recorded a maximum temperature of 52.9C, although the government later said it was due to a sensor error and revised it down by 3C.

Nearly 150 people died due to the heatwave in 2024, according to official data but independent researchers said the toll was much higher.

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